Emerging Occupational Injury and Illness Issues in the Southeast Region

Billie A. Kizer, MPH, CSP

Assistant Regional Administrator

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Interim Enforcement Procedures for

Reporting Requirements under 29 CFR

1904.39

Key Points:

SIR Intake and triage procedures

Rapid Response Investigation (RRI)

procedures for area offices

SIR flowcharts to guide decision

making

Abatement of underlying hazards is

the focus

Severe Injury and Illness Reporting

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Severe Injury ReportsNation - CY 2017 - 12,366 SIR Reports

30% (3657) - Inspections63% (7819) - RRI7% (890) - Not Valid or not action taken

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Severe Injury ReportsNation - CY 2017 - 12,366 SIR Reports

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Severe Injury ReportsRegion 4 - CY 2017 - 2,626 SIR Reports

28% (736) Inspections62% (1629) RRI10% (261) Not Valid

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Severe Injury ReportsRegion 4 - CY 2017 - 2,626 SIR Reports

New Silica StandardRespirable Crystalline Silica Standard for construction, began enforcement on September 23, 2017

Comprehensive Standard establishes 8-hour time-weighted average, permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 50 µg/m3, and an action level of 25 µg/m3

Developed interim enforcement guidance

Drafting Compliance Directive, numerous FAQ and letters of interpretation

Three judge panel rejected all of industries’ challenges and said OSHA had met legal requirements for determining what standards are feasible, economically and technically

January 9, 2017 - Final rule – Beryllium (new expanded standards)

Gen. Ind. (1910.1024); Constr. (1926.1124); Maritime (1915.1024)

PEL 0.2 µg/m3 (8-hr TWA) [reduced 10x from PEL in 1910.1000]

STEL 2.0 μg/m3 (for 15 minutes)

Dates

May 20, 2017 - Effective date

March 12, 2018 - Comply with most requirements

March 11, 2019 - Change rooms/Showers (GI only)

May 20, 2020 - Engineering controls

June 27, 2017 - Proposed change for construction and maritime

Revoke all requirements except the PELs

Still reviewing public comments

March 2, 2018 - Memo delays enforcement 60 days to May 11

Litigation settlements ongoing8

New Beryllium Standards

Walking Working Surfaces Standard Published November 18, 2016

Effective January 17, 2017 Exceptions: training, rope descent anchorage

inspection requirements, and some ladder requirements

Some requirements are grandfathered for existing installations (i.e. height of stair rails)

Training requirements became effective May 17, 2017

Provides greater flexibility in choosing a fall protection system.

OSHA developing numerous FAQ to support compliance

Every year, dozens of workers die and thousands more become ill while working in extreme heat or humid conditions.

More than 40 percent of heat-related worker deaths occur in the construction industry, but workers in every field are susceptible.

Calendar Year 2017 – 4 Heat-Related Fatalities Inspected (Agriculture, General Industry and Construction)

Calendar Year 2017 – 19 Heat-Related Hospitalizations Inspected

The Heat Safety Tool - The App allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index for their worksite, and, based on the heat index, displays a risk level to outdoor workers.

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Heat-Related Exposures

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Heat-Related Exposures

Landscaping and Heat Stand-down – April 17-18, 2018

OSHA has received and investigated many reports of temporary workers suffering serious or fatal injuries, some in their first days on the job. Numerous studies have shown that new workers are at increased risk for work-related injury, and most temporary workers will be "new" workers multiple times a year.

Both host employers and staffing agencies have roles in complying with workplace health and safety requirements and they share responsibility for ensuring worker safety and health.

A key concept is that each employer should consider the hazards it is in a position to prevent and correct, and in a position to comply with OSHA standards.

Staffing agencies might provide general safety and health training

Host employers provide specific training tailored to the particular workplace equipment/hazards.

Host employers must treat temporary workers like any other workers in terms of training and safety and health protections.12

Temporary Worker Initiative

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Temporary Worker Initiative

Temporary Worker Bulletins Under Development Respiratory Protection Noise

Novel Cases

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10

20

30

40

50

60

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Workplace Violence Ergonomics HeatCitations 6 1 11HALs 66 51 55

WPV, Ergonomic and Heat Citation/HAL Breakdown Fiscal Year 2017

Current NEPs

Combustible Dust

Federal Agencies

Hazardous Machinery

Hexavalent Chromium

Lead

Primary Metal Industries

Process Safety Management

Shipbreaking

Trenching and Excavation

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OSHA and State plan partners performed 476 total inspections in CY17:

313 Unprogrammed / 163 Programmed

319 Inspections found with violations

Major violations

Walking Working Surfaces

General Duty Clause

Proposing changes to the NEP:

New targeting based on 10 years of inspection experience

Considerable technical guidance information for compliance officers

Combustible Dust NEP

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AIRBORNE OVEREXPOSURE SAMPLES –CY 17 – REGION 4

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AIRBORNE OVEREXPOSURE PRIMARY METALS NAICS CY 17 – REGION 4

Regional Emphasis Program - Falls in Construction - OIS Code "FALL"

Regional Emphasis Program for Landscaping and Horticultural Services (NAICS 541320, 541690, and 561730) -OIS Code "LANDSCPE"

Regional Emphasis Program for Electrical Hazards - OIS Code "OHPWRLNE"

Local Emphasis Program for Ship/Boat Building and Repair (NAICS 336611, 336612, 488390, 713930, and 811490) - OIS Code "XBOATPRG"

Regional Emphasis Program for High Noise Industries (NAICS 311615, 321xxx, 3261xx, 3273xx (except 327331), 332xxx, 336360, 336612, 337215, and 339113) - OIS Code "HINOISE"

Regional Emphasis Program addressing Sanitation and Clean-up operations in the NAICS Groups 311xxx & 3121xx –Food and Kindred Products - OIS Code "FOODPRO"

Regional Emphasis Program for Powered Industrial Truck - OIS Code "FORKLIFT"

Local Emphasis Program for Federal Agencies - OIS Code "FEDSAFE"

Regional Emphasis Programs for Poultry Processing Facilities - OIS Code "POULTRY4"

Regional Emphasis Program for Safety Hazards in Auto Parts Industry – NAICS 3363XX (Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing) - OIS Code "AUTOSUP"

Local Emphasis Program for Construction - OIS Code "FEDCONST"

Regional Emphasis Program (REP) for Programmed Maritime Inspections -OIS Code "MARITIME"

Regional Emphasis Program for Lead -OIS Code "LEAD"

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Current REPS

Workers employed in the poultry industry face many serious hazards that can lead to serious injury, illness and death, including dangerous equipment, musculoskeletal disorders, high noise levels, exposure to infectious pathogens and hazardous chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine, and antimicrobial agents.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that poultry workers suffer serious injuries at rates twice as high as workers in private industry and suffer work-related illnesses at rates more than six times as high.

A few hazards identified:

Ergonomics

Hazard Communication

Hexavalent Chromium

Biological Hazards – Histoplasmosis, Campylobacter, Psittacosis

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Poultry Processing REP

Lead overexposure is one of the most common overexposures found in industry and is a leading cause of workplace illness.

Lead adversely affects numerous body systems and causes forms of health impairment and disease that arise after periods of exposure as short as a few days (acute exposure) or as long as several years (chronic exposure).

The frequency and severity of medical symptoms increases with the concentration of lead in the blood.

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Lead REP

Stone Products, Sawmills and Planing Mills, Plastics Products, Wood Pallets and Skids, and the Fabricated Structural Metal industries

Approximately 30 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise exposures on the job and over 9 million are at risk for hearing loss from occupational exposure to noise, which remains a persistent cause of employee illness in the workplace.

Exposure to excessive levels of noise, coupled with inadequate personal protective equipment and the lack of an effective hearing conservation program continue to put workers at significant risk of permanent impairment.

Noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most common occupational diseases and is the second most self-reported occupational illness or injury.

According to 2015 BLS data, the incidence rate of hearing losses in Wood Product Manufacturing, Poultry Processing, and Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing were between 3.5 and 16 times that of Private Industry.

Eighty-two noise violations were identified in Fiscal Year 2017. 22

Noise REP

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NOISE SAMPLES AND OVEREXPOSURE CY 17 – REGION 4

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NOISE SAMPLES AND OVEREXPOSURE BY NAICS

CY 17 – REGION 4

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Region IV Stand-downs

Georgia Struck-by Alliance 2018 Stand-down (National Work Zone Awareness Week 2018, April 9 - 13)

Registration Link -http://www.agcga.org/web/Safety/Struck_By_Stand_Down_2018.aspx

Region IV – 2018 Landscaping/Heat Illness Prevention Stand-Down (April 17 -18, 2018)

AGC Georgia – Heat Illness Prevention Stand-down –http://www.agcga.org/web/Safety/2018_Heat_Illness_Safety_Stand_Down.aspx

AGC Georgia – Landscaping Stand-down -http://www.agcga.org/web/Safety/OSHA_Region_4_Landscaping_Stand_Down.aspx

Safety Alliance - https://safetyalliance.org/osha/

OSHA National Fall Prevention Stand-down (May 7 – 11, 2018)

OSHA Safe and Sound Campaign (August 13 – 19, 2018)

Trenching Safety Initiative (NUCA Stand-Down June 18 - 23, 2018)

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